¿Nos podremos entender? Causas de mala impresión en la comunicación intercultural: Reflexiones en torno a la diferencia de la cortesía entre mexicanos y japoneses

Abstract

This article aims to discuss on the possible coexistence among different cultures in order to look for a key to reach mutual intercultural understanding or at least, a better approach, between Mexican and Japanese subjects. Roll playing, questionnaires and interviews have been used with both, Japanese and Mexican participants, to look for an answer to the following questions: 1) How does the speech act of apologizing differ among Japanese, IL (interlanguage) and Spanish speakers? 2) What is the reason for the peculiar properties that apologizing expose among the HNNs (nonnative speakers) of the IL? 3) How do the use of interlinguistic forms impact the general impression that HNs (native speakers) get about HNNs? Here, evidences are presented that intercultural differences do exist and they are the cause of bad impressions. Politeness is rooted on different styles: Japanese subjects prefered negative politeness and Mexican subject selected negative politeness strategies. The sociopragmatic faults influenced more in the general impression than the pragmalinguistic ones.